Resonator for pianos



2 Sheets-Sheet l ,;.Filed Nov. 14, 1946 CHARLES fiA/yomsozv INVENTOR.

BY (5 I Q c. E. ANDERSON RESONATOR FOR PIANOS Sept. 26, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1946 1e 23 ll 24 m m E D. N E m m m C INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RESONATOR FOR PIANOS Charles'E. Anderson, Decatur, Ill.

Application November 14, 1946, Serial No. 709,883

3 Claims.

This invention relates to tone modifiers or devices for enriching the tone values relating to harmonics, especially in stringed instruments and more specifically to pianos and the like, it being well known that what is called color" in music may reflect height, depth and beauty, or shallowness, harshness and lack of beauty, depending on the structural characteristics embodied in the instrument by means of which the music is produced.

My invention consists. in the provision of a resonator and is contrived to eliminate or at least greatly diminish such audible effects, in music as are objectionable to the listeners, and to facilitatethe full, rich harmonic characteristics known to be desirable in music rendition, and has for one of its objects to provide a device of this type which may be economically and efficiently manufactured by usual production methods in wood, plastic or other suitable material for the purpose.

Another object is the provision of means where? by the invention may be readily attached to. any conventional type of piano, the character and construction of which would admit of the attachment of my resonator.

A further object is the provision in this device of such size, contour and arrangement of parts as will enable its attachment to a piano by screws, glue or other suitable means.

Inits preferred form, my invention cefitemplates the provision of a resonator of any usual suitable material, such as hard maple, although various synthetic plastics may be used, which consists of a flat plate member having a curved and bulb-like contour, being substantially circular at its larger end and tapering down to a relatively pointed stem-like shape at its other end, and with a continuous wall formed at rightangles thereto around and integral with its periphery. This wall is so formed that a side view, for example, reveals the resonator as tapering from its circular or larger end longitudinally toward its stem-like smaller end, thus effecting a wedge shape, the greater depth of the resonator at one end being for the purpose of accommodating the sound from the base strings l9, while the lesser depth of the other end of the resonator is for the purpose of accommodating the sound from the treble strings 20.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view taken from above and slightly in front of a grand piano, showing a portion of the piano plate, base strings and treble strings broken away to reveal the sounding board of the piano, in which an aperture is provided to admit musical sound to the resonator shown in heavy dotted lines as being attached and in suspended relation to the under face of said sounding board, while other portions of the piano which are irrelevant are broken away to conserve space.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the piano shown in Fig. 1, showing the reasonator attached in postion beneath the sounding board of the piano.

Figure 3- is a sectional view of the resonator taken on the line A-A of Fig. 2, showing the horizontally mounted bridge bar with its angularly positioned and integral brace members, and showing also the sound-admitting aperture in the sounding board of the piano.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a wall portionof the resonator taken on the line BB of Fig. 2, showing particularly one example of notching used in the upper edge of the vertical wall of the resonator to facilitate its attachment to the sounding board of the piano, the notches in said wall being adapted to be fitted over and around the subvening braces of said soundin board.

Figure 5 is a reduced perspective view of the resonator shown as it appears in Figure 2.

In the drawings and referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I have illustrated my invention in the preferred type as hereinbefore described. It is to be understood, however, that it is not limited to any certain size or proportion, nor to the specific contour'illustrated and described, but may be varied to meet the requirements of attachment to various types of pianos to which my invention may be adapted.

My improved resonator comprises a plate member [0 having a right-angularly projecting wall I l integral with and extending completely around the periphery of the plate member ID, one end of said plate being spherical or bulb-shaped as at I2 in Figs. 1 and 2, and the other end of the plate member being somewhat stem shaped as at [3, it being tapered down from its bulb shaped end along longitudinally curved, oppositely disposed and converging sides as at M and I5.

By reference to Fig. 4 in the drawings it will be seen that a plurality of notches l6 are spaced along the upper edge I I of the wall II for the purpose of engaging in fitted relation thereto the subvening brace members I! of the sounding board I8 of the piano shown.

It will be noted in Fig. 1 that the notches [B are not shown in said upper edge H of the wall II, in order to impart greater clarity to the showing of the resonator due to the more or less complex showing of the base strings I9, the treble strings 20 and the metal plate H of the piano. It is to be understood, of course, that said notches as shown in Fig. are provided in any suitable size and number required to enable my improved resonator to be suitably mounted on an instrument capable of employing its use.

I desire it to be understood also that while Fig. 1 reveals a reasonable degree of accuracy throughout the arrangement and proportion of the parts of the piano itself, the piano view shown in Fig. 2 is essentially schematic and not intended to limit this invention in any sense as to the design, size or proportions illustrated.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the bulb-shaped or circular portion of my improved resonator as shown at I2 is provided to effectuate the resonance of music from the base strings, and that the stem-shaped or tapered portion of this resonator is by the same token provided to effectuate the resonance of music from the treble strings, and that various musical instruments to which this resonator may be attached may require different placement or location of said resonator thereon, depending on the structural and sound characteristics of such instruments in order to bring out the best effects in music rendition.

The bridge bar 22 having the brace members 23 is provided in fixed integral assembly engaging the inner opposing faces 24 and 24 of the wall H, said bridge bar being positioned directly beneath and centrally across the sound-admitting aperture 25 provided in the sounding board l8 of the piano shown. Said aperture 25, while not part of the resonator shown and described, is necessarily provided in suitable size and location in the sounding board of an instrument on which my invention is mounted.

The bridge bar 22 serves the dual purpose of bracing as just above outlined, as well as that of a sounding bar which is contriveddue to its integral contact with the inner opposing faces 24 and 24' of the wall I l, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3- to enhance the quality of sympathetic vibration between said inner opposing wall surfaces and within said improved resonator generally.

The position of said bridge bar 22 shown suspended between the upper edge I I of the wall H and the inner face ID of the plate member H] as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 3 is thus adapted to best aid the resonant qualities of said bridge bar 22.

As shown in Figure 5 my resonator is provided with a relatively long notch 26 at one side which fits over the edge 21 of the piano bottom. A notch 4 not shown is also provided on the opposite side of the resonator to fit over the edge 28, the edges engaged by the notched portions being indicated by broken lines in Figure 2.

Further description is believed to be unnecessary to a clear understanding of my invention, and though I have described the preferred embodiment and arrangement thereof, I desire it to be understood that modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A resonator for the sounding board of a stringed instrument, said board being formed with a sound opening, comprising a sound box of suitable material including a continuous wall, a sounding bar of like material carried by the wall, said bar being secured and positioned between the inner opposing wall surfaces, to thereby extend transversely across the said opening, brace means for said sound bar, and means for supporting the said sound box from the sounding board.

2. A resonator for the sounding board of a stringed instrument, said board being formed with a sound opening, comprising a sound box of suitable material including a continuous wall, a sounding bar of like material carried by the wall, said bar being mounted transversely over the sound opening and secured between the inner opposing wall surfaces, and means for supporting the said sound box from the sounding board.

3. A resonator for the sounding board of a stringed instrument, said board being formed with a sound opening, comprising a sound box of suitable material including a continuous wall, a sounding bar of the same material carried by the wall, said bar being mounted transversely over the sound opening substantially parallel to said board and secured between the inner opposing wall surfaces, and means for supporting the said sound box from the sounding board, said resonator being bulb-shaped so as to be larger at one end than the other, said larger bulb-shaped portion thereof receiving the sound vibrations from the base strings of an instrument and said relatively smaller end of the bulb shaped portion receiving the vibrations of the treble strings.

CHARLES E. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 343,644 Marx June 15, 1886 1,353,555 Wismer Sept. 21, 1920 1,518,867 Moser Dec. 9, 1924 1,530,984 Crippen Mar. 24, 1925 2,268,875 Jones Jan. 6, 1942 

